People on Sheares Bridge in front of the two durians bidding farewell to LKY. It was a very wet day.

1/18/2012

Exceptional country, exceptional solution

We must see ourselves as the number one place to live for exceptional people. We must be an exceptional country and for that, the pay of our political leaders must be exceptional. We want the best and we shall pay the best salary in the world to get the best talent the world can provide.

So far every suggestion and proposal for the minister’s salary is arbitrary. The logic is arbitrary logic, selective and some may say self serving. The team making the recommendation chose who they want to compare with, chose the criteria they want to ensure that the pay is still in the millions. Chose to treat ministers like employees, call it pragmatic or to be unkind, mercenary. Chose to motivate them like employees of a company instead of leaders of a country leading the people by their exemplary conduct and dedication.

Let me suggest another selective arbitrary proposal. Pick ten of the world’s top countries, on any criteria, logically should be first world or developed advanced countries, not kingdoms or sheikdoms, and take the salary of their heads of govt for reference. Include all the perks that are measurable and relevant. Forget about Air Force One. It is a stupid comparison.

Convert all their perks into monetary terms and add them to their salaries. At the end of the exercise, take the average number, in monetary terms, and pay them to our head of govt. The rest of the ministerial salary can be a percentage of that. No one then can argue that there is no real comparison because these leaders have other perks. We add in the perks.

I think this formula should provide a handsome income to our ministers. And make it clean, no more other incomes or perks or bonuses. It is arbitrary but arbitrarily fair and logical. And like the Worker’s Party suggested, make the total payout public. It cannot be a case of clean and transparent but cannot tell. There should be nothing to be ashamed of that cannot be made public. Unless all the claims of transparency and clean wage is hogwash. Please tell.

The only unfair bit is that the talents may not live up to it as our talents come from a small pool of self proclaimed elite. Nevermind, be generous and aim to be an exceptional country with exceptional leadership. It may look like an aspiration, an idealistic goal, but we need to start somewhere. And starting with an exceptional salary for our leaders is a good start in the right direction.

20 comments:

Divali
said...

[ST Forum: Accept disagreement and let's move on] "As our ministers are among the best-paid in the world, who can reply 'yes' without sounding greedy? Facing this subjective moral debate, the PAP is in unfamiliar territory - the lower end of an unlevel playing field." http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_756792.html

hahaha ... pinky thinks he has got supermen for the millions he is paying them ... doesn't he know many of them are nitwits??? hohoho .... he says that other world leaders privately tell him that they wish they can have pap kind of salaries.Doesn't he know that they are juz saying to make him happy n inwardly thinking he is most immoral??? pui !!!

[Flogging A Dead Horse] "Instead of sacking his epic fails, Lee would "move them to less demanding portfolios". Which explains why Vivian Balakrishnan is now "jaga longkang" (Malay for "custodian of drains"), but still drawing $1.1 millions after the "pay cut".

~Which explains why Vivian Balakrishnan is now "jaga longkang" (Malay for "custodian of drains"), but still drawing $1.1 millions after the "pay cut". ~True, we all know that. At least Lee is honest but never pointed out who.

Exceptional oppositions too.It's not just about the time to debate on political salaries. It's also about the time for Singaporeans which type of oppostions we want.Equally important is the existing opposition parties (with or without elected MP)which type / philosophy of opposition do Singapore and Singaporeans need and adust accordingly. Or else, for some opposition party, the next election is your last chance to prove yourself.

Please lah. Don't make excuses. Every cuntree has people. Ultimately the fate of that cuntree is collectively determined by how the people use their brains, and what the culture is.

I give Singapore a 50-50 score. Half the people are rational, hardworking and on the road to wealth and success, and the other half disgusting losers, who unfortunately are illegal to kill under Singapore law :-)))

~Nature already kills her losers.~It takes time then.Why not an easy, effective and efficient way - legalised way?You are actually directly tell us that.Sorry to use the word "indirectly".I stand corrected.

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